Tag "Wayne Lusvardi"
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Fact-checking water price subsidies
This is Part 3 of a series. Part 1 was on how drought-water pricing violates Proposition 218’s ban on tax increases without a vote of the people. Part 2 was on fact-checking water pricing. Water subsidies are the focus of much
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Drought brings centralized groundwater control
Was it necessary to pass three new bills that increase the California government’s control over groundwater? The numbers tell the story. By now most Californians have heard the shockingly huge number: The state has lost 63 trillion gallons of water due
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SoCal water reserves could dry up in 2016
The nearby photo shows the recent demolition of a 160-foot water tank tower at Edwards Air Force Base northeast of Lancaster. Could it be a prophetic image for Southern California’s future? The Associated Press reported the area’s regional water supplier, the Metropolitan Water District
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Fact-checking drought-water pricing
This is Part 2 of a series. Part 1 was on how drought-water pricing violates Proposition 218’s ban on tax increases without a vote of the people. What is good water pricing during a drought? Let’s look at some
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Does drought pricing violate state law?
This is Part 1 of a series. Calls now are going out to raise water prices even higher to spur conservation. Instead of fining people for watering their lawns, numerous economists are recommending just tacking a punitive surcharge onto water rates until use
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Bankruptcy could cut San Bernardino fire pensions
It was a hot 102 degrees last Thursday in San Bernardino — perfect weather for a city bankruptcy “cramdown.” Federal Bankruptcy Court Judge Meredith Jury ruled the city, as Reuters reported, “may impose cuts to its firefighters’ overtime and pension benefits in a bid
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Sacramento unplugs Brown battery plan
At its Sept. 4 meeting, the Sacramento Municipal Utility District deferred deploying batteries along its electric grid in compliance with Assembly Bill 2514 of 2010. The reason: energy storage was not economically feasible. (See p. 93 and p. 143 of the Board
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Water deal turnoff helped parch L.A.
Los Angeles sure could use extra water right now. But in 2002 the water-locked city forfeited a Golden State opportunity to buy drought-relief water from the Cadiz Inc. water company, mainly due to political pressure from environmental organizations. Other more nimble public water agencies and
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In fighting drought, San Antonio leaves L.A. in the dust
Could cities such as drought-vulnerable Los Angeles come to regret that a “privatization” provision in the old $11.1 billion state water bond was removed? Back in 2009, there was an outcry against language in the original version of a
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After gamble backfires, L.A. demands refund from banks
In the San Francisco Bay area, public transit riders are paying $104 million in higher rider fees to cover the cost of exotic financial insurance known as an interest rate swap. In Detroit, the inability of the city to
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